Sprinkler alarm device.



E. L. THOMPSON;

SPRINKLER ALARM DEVICE. APPLIUATION PILED rn.,19oe.

PATENTBD MAY 28, 1907.

,@mm ATTORNEYS UNITED 'PATENT ormoni."

. EVERETT L THoMiPsonoE-NEW YORK, N. Y..

SPRINKLER ALARM DEVICE'.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mayeaieoa App'umaa mea rebruary 6,1906. serai No. aaai/ 97.1

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, E vERET'r L. THonP` soNfa citizen of the United States, anda resident of the borough of-Brookl county of Kingshcity and State of New ork, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements lin Sprinkler Alarm Devices, of w 'ch the fol- 'lowing is a speciiication, taken in connection with the accompanymg-'draw1ngs,'which form a part ofthe same.

This invention relatesto s rinkler alarm devices and relates especia y to devices which are adapted to act in connection with' anv automatic sprinkler system and to give an 4alarm when the sprinklers operate.

In lthe accompanying drawings showing i illustrative embodimentsyof this/invention,A F1gure 1 shows 1n section an embodiment of th1s invention, parts` being shown diagrammatically and F1g.l2 is a sectional view of another illustrative embodiment.

' In the illustrativeforrn of d-eviceh tion.

frevolu shown in Fig. 1 the usual'supply pipe 1 is ini' dicated as connected with distributingl pipesV such as 2, which may be provided with auto'- matic s rinklers 3 of any desired .construche supply 'pi e may be provided with an enlarged checli valve casing 25, the

1 lower section 50 of which isconnecte'd to the lower part .of the supply pi e.'r A suitablecheck valve may be arrange 1n any desired position Within the casing 'and the valve 46 may be located in the position indicated, this valve being formed with the substantially hemis herical lower portion 4 4 and being bly mounted bythe stud 90 upon the valve lever 47. This lever may be p1votally mounted about the pin 48 in the casing so'as to .allow the valve to cooperate with the valve s'eat 45, There is preferably suiicient loose- Y ness in the valve connections to allow the ac- I l curateengagement of the valve with its seat under all' conditions of operation. A remov- "able cover 49 may be provided on the casing l 4s to allow of examination of the inner parts. A

suitable Venturi tube may,A if desired, be

" mounted within each check valve casing substantially in line with the s pply pipe, although this is notnecessa 1n al cass. This venturi tube may be c lmposed of the f jet nozzle 40 screwed' into the\transverse par-- tition across the valve c sing( below the chamber 24 and the' coper v ting nozzlel secconveniently'formed so aste-provid 4municates through the passage4'1`fwith the' valve or otherwise secured thereto.

land clampedin tion'd"lllniayl be screwed the section In this way theexhaustpassage42ln1ay beV port l with which the .upper ortion o alanced valve coacts av suitab e facing''bejf balanced valve casing carries the seatsil f t-l e valvei'ii's' referabl libckfvalvier o ing provided on the valve to coperate with. i

this seat and vthis facing' beingheld in posit` tion by the heavy washer 9 screwed upon the' A similar facing 14 is* rovided at .the lower end of ythe balanced va ve 6 and may coperate with the yielding valve seat 15 which as indicated may be mounted on the resilient diaphragml 16 secured tothe body Aof the valve casing which may be olted in place. The upper head 4 may be vsecured in a similar way so" position by the lower head 20 that the exhaust chamber 8 is formedabove, 'Tv lthe valve, the intermediate neutral chamber 12 between the two valve-faces and the resu sure chamber 90 below the diaphragm w `ch,` if. desired,l may be limited in its upward movement by a suitable stop in the form of the annular plate 13. parent that this resilient diaphragm on which the lower valve seat isf mounted allows the accurate seating of both faces of the valve,

the dia hragm'yielding sufliciently to secure the tig t closure of both openings regardless of slight inaccuracies of adjustment or con struction of parts. The vsize of the upper valve seat and coperating valve'facesL are properly proportioned., so as `to 'veo a tight It is, of course, ap i closure and a detinite and reliab e operation of the valve under the -conditions of service. The balanced valve'is loosely guided in its operation by the two pins 5 gnl 17 which loosely engage suitable apertures in the casing, such as 18. The balanced valve may be IOO operated by connecting the pressure chamber 90 with the check valve chamber 24 by the pressure pipe 22 which is preferably rovided with. the 'setting valveI 23 by "w l'ch' this connection niay bel"cut;oii"=aiid this valve may also be provided with a drain aperture 51 which allows fluid to escape-"atthis point. The exhaust chamber may be connected @with 'the exhaust passage 42 by means 'of the exhaust pipe 21 and V27 as indicated, the pipe 27 also connecting with a suitable indicator 26-soas to showthe pressure within the eX- .Ah'a'istipassage and i i In a similar ioj may `be provided with ltwov needleA may. be connected Withthefpi e'22" the pressure in the-pressui ha bl `of the` balanced valve. .The neutral" chamber 12 fof! this balanced i valve is connected with the alarm vpipe 38 which preferably has v.an open connection,

allowing. this pipe and chamber tov drain andv which is also connected `with suitable alarm @Chavela i s indicated' this Vpipe may be ,flperate 4a 'suitable eleciiicating with iivliich the presthe movement tached 'ther'eto.`r This ai ks the pivoted contact lever 54`Isoas to'jmakef'electric contact between the tw'ptermii'i'als 52ai`id 53.

36 the battery` Sejand theelectric bell lWater 'pressure' are Srelievedfby*v this open passage and since' l adarger: momentary impulse cou-ld be relieved byslightly lifting the check valve 46 from its seat'. 1 If,V however, the sprinklers operate in the distributing system a steady flow occurs through the venturi tube causing aV diminutionof pressure in'the exhaust passage fand; exhaust .pipe.; This relieves theV pressure to -someextent inthe ex- L ihau'stifchambfer. above the' balanced valve.

. The-pressure, in-thepressure chamber 90 exerted; uponthe, diaphragm is thereupon sufficient-to raise the 'valve-whereupon water,

. is irriiiriediately-v admittedin large quantities 69;.

, "theffalarin e `38 .to operate the alarms as indicated. n resetting the valve a positive operation can be effected by moving the on the under- This closes Y the electric eirefui't `indicated lthrough below theche to tire neutral chamberl l12 and passes throughl setting valve 23 so as to close the connection between the check val "e chamber 24 and the pressure chamber of the balanced valve and at the saine time allow the pressure chamber to drain through the opening 51. Under these circumstances the pressure through the pipe 27 acts upon the upper side of the balanced valve and forces it irmlydowiiward against its seat,I thus bringing the lower face of this valve into close connection with the movable seat on the diaphragmA so that the mechanism is in the position indicated.

Referring te Fig. 2, thc supply pi ie S6 may be as indicated connected witi tlief check valve casing 85 within which is inount.

ed a suitable choc-l; valve S() having the henii`" spherical portion 81 andconnected with the valvelever S2 by the stud S9 so that the valve may move about the valvepivot 83. These parts, of course, are readily accessible when the cover S4 is removed. The body 61 of the balanced valve casing carries the seat sup ort in which the valve seat 66 is mounte so as to coact with the upper face 64 of the balanced valve 68, a suitable facing being clamped betweenthe )art -64 and the washer 65, if desired. The lower face 69 of this valve is indicated as smaller than the upper face, the relative proportion of these parts being adjusted so as to give the desired irmness of seating and sensitiveness oi action ofthe device. The su )port 76 carries the valve seatl 72 and rigidly. holds it in proper position and this seat is engaged by a suitable facing 70 clamped in position by a washer 71, if desired.

By this construction the intermediate iie1l- IOO tral chamber 74 is formed which is providedJ with the opening 88 leadingto the alarm pipe 3S which i'iiay operate suitable alarm mechanism such as described in connection with Fig. 1. The exhaust chamber 73 above the uiper face of the balanced valve 68 is provii. ed with the opening 67 connected through the .exhaust pipe 62 with the chamber above the check-valve and in a similar way the pressure chamber 75 is rovided withthe hole 87 communicating wit i the pressure .pipe 63 which is connected with the supply pipe below the check valve and which may be provided with a setting valve 91 to drain this pressure chamber when desired. W'hen the sprinkler heads operate Athere is .meinentarilyvajgreat .1 pressure in the.` supply pi ie iik valvethanalwve it at tlie instantbefore the check'.valve raises. This excess offpressure acts throughthe pressure pipev andpressure chamber to raise the balf anced valve against the reduced pressure then` 'acting in the exhaust chamber 73. Thereupon the neutral chamber 7.4 iills with water which passes through the alarm pipe 38 and operates the alarm mechanism. The bal- TIO anced valve canbe 'conveniently resetby op erating the setting valve 91 so as to simultaneously 'drainvthe pressure chamber 75.

Having thus, described this invention in connection with several illustrative embodiments of thesame, tothe details of which I do not desire to be limited, what is claimed as new and What is desiredjto secure'by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims. L l

1; In sprinkler alarm devices, a check valv casingconnected with a supply pipe and dis tributing system and provi ed with a check valve anda Venturi tube substantially in line with said supply pipe, a`v balanced valve cas- -ingadjacent said sup ly .pipe and provided With an exhaust cham ver having a valve seat,

, van'i-ntermediate neutral chamber and' a pressureichambenaresilient diaphragm provided with a valve .seat .between said neutral charnberY and said pressure chamber and a bal- Y an'ced valve mounted Within said casing and coperating with said seats, alarm mechanism,

a 'pressure pipe provided with a setting valve connecting said pressure chamber and said su ply pipe, an exhaust pipe connecting said ex, 'aust chamberand the throat of said Venturi tube and an alarm pipe connected with said neutral chamber and operating said alarni'mechanism.

2. In sprinkler alarm devices, a check valve casing, a check valve and Venturi tube Within said casing, a balanced valve casing having an exhaust Achamber provided With aseat,v a neutral chamber and a'pressure. chamber, a resilient diaphragm provided with a valve lseat adjacentfjsaid pressure chamber, la connected valve mechanism cooperating With said valve seats, alarm mechanism, a pressure pipe connecting said press'ure chamber and said valve casing, an exhaust pipe connecting said exhaust chamber and said Venturi tube and an alarm pi e connectingsaid neutral chamber and sai( alarm mechanism'.l

` In sprinkler alarm deviges, a suppl pipe, a Venturi tube communicating wit said supply-pipe to be operated by a flow through said pipe, a valve casing provided with an exhaust chamber, a neutral chamber 'and a pressure chamber, valve seats adjacent either side oi -said pressure chamber, one of Asaid valve seats being, yieldably mounted, a balanced valve coperating with. said seats, an exhaust ipe to connect said exhaust chamber Witlllsai'd Venturi tube, a pressure pipe to connect said pressure chamber with said supply pipe and alarm mechanism op# -erated by the pressure in said neutral chamber. i

e. InA sprinkler -alarm devices, a su ply pipe, a'Venturi tube connected With an operated by low in said,` supplyV pipe, a valve casing lprovided with an exhaust chamber,l y

a neutral chamber having a drain aperture and a pressure chamber, cooperating valve nected valves cooperating with said .valve seats, an exhaust pipe connecting said exhaust chamber` with said Venturi tube and a pressurepipe provided with a setting valve connecting said pressure chamber with said supply pipe.

sure. 'and exhaust chambers on the commencement 'of flow through said supply pipe.

6.; ln `sprinkleralarm devices, a balanced valve casing rovided with anexhaust chamber, a neutra chamber and apressure chamber, valve seats betweenrsaidchambers, one of saidd seats, being yieldably mounted, co1 operating connected valve. mechanism cooperatin With said seats, a `pressure pipe provide with a setting valve having a drain aperture connected with said pressure chamber to `connect the same with a sup ly pipe, an exhaust pipe connected with sai' exhaust chamber and -an indicator connected with said pressure and exhaust chambers.

l7'. Insprinkler alarm devices a balanced valve casing having an exhaust chamber, a neutral chamber and a pressure chamber, valve seats between said chambers, connected valve mechanism coperating with said-seats,a pressure pipe provided with a setting'valve and drain aperture connectedl with said pressure chamber to connect the same .With a vsupply pipe; means to drain said neutral lchamber and a pressure pipe'to connect said pressure chamber withV a sprinkler system. i

8. In sprinkler alarm devices, a balanced valve casing having an exhaust chamber, a neutral .chamber and a pressure chamber, a valve seat between said exhaust chamber and said neutral chamber, a diaphra 'm be tween said neutral chamberand sai pres' sure chamber, a valve seat mounted on said diaphragm,- a stop coperating with said diaphragm to limit the movement thereof 'a balanced valve loosely mounted Within "said casing and cooperating with said valve seats.-

seats adjacent said neutral chamber, con

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9. In sprinkleralerm devices, a valve casnected' valve mechanism eopemting with ing provided 'with an exhaust chamber, a' said valve seuts to se @rate said neutral 1o pressurechamber and an intermediate neu- Chamber from said exhaust. and pressure tral chamber, a valve seat on one side of said Chambers.

5 neutral chamber, a yielding diaphragm ou u EVERETT L. THOll'lPSON.l

the other sideA of said neutral chamber, a Witnesses:v vulve seet on saidy diaphragm, a stop to limit HARRY L. DUNCAN;

the m0vement-of Said vdiaphragm and con- JESSIE B. KAY. 

